Facebook Aims to Boost News Credibility

Facebook is introducing a new project to improve the quality of news stories on the social network.

(CCM) — Facebook has been associated with fake news recently, but the social media company hopes to repair its damaged news credentials by introducing what it calls the Facebook Journalism Project. "We will be collaborating with news organizations to develop products, learning from journalists about ways we can be a better partner, and working with publishers and educators on how we can equip people with the knowledge they need to be informed readers in the digital age," said Facebook's Fidji Simo.

As part of the project, Facebook will develop new storytelling formats based on Facebook Live, 360, Instant Articles, and completely new formats, Simo says. This will include the ability for users to see multiple stories from their favorite news organizations at a time, he adds. Facebook has also promised to run "hackathons," where Facebook engineers host sessions with developers from news organizations to identify opportunities to work together. The company also plans to introduce training and tools for journalists, teachers, and researchers, to help give people information "so that they can make smart choices about the news they read," Simo added. Facebook will continue its existing efforts to curb news hoaxes, which include ways for people to report fake news more easily and new efforts to disrupt the financial incentives for scammers.